Diplomatic

Diploma students presented themselves with their work on Monday, only hours after I had arrived on the dawn train from the Gobi and showered to remove the fine dust.

Preliminary diploma work was presented by Altangerel, Samdan-nyam, Myagmar, Altanchimeg and Javkhaa-bayar, all building engineering students. On close examination, a neutral-looking four-storey block turned out to be a rehabilitation hospital; with a lift but no accessible entrance. Drawing orientations were 'front, side' etc. rather than 'south, west' etc. Reinforcing steel had been carefully considered and calculated. A carparking structure was calculated, but not yet drawn. An airport had not been plotted due to a computer failure. A multi-storey farm was not presented because a teacher had questioned its viability. This prompted a peek with the student at Pig City (MVRDV 2001) A project for a school building was the exact replica of our planned new building, currently under construction outside. However the advice I had given last month to the architect, engineers and teachers, including accessibility, room uses, orientations, and fire egress, had not been taken into account by the student.